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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effects of Biodegradable Mulch and Organic Amendments on Maize Root Characteristics and Soil Stabilization Capacity in the Hilly Region of the Loess Plateau
ClearSynergistic biochar‑Bacillus consortium enhances phosphorus availability, root architecture, and inflorescence development in greenhouse cherry tomato
Despite its title referencing biochar and Bacillus soil amendments, this paper studies how combining biochar with beneficial bacteria improves phosphorus availability and crop yield in greenhouse tomato farming — not microplastic pollution. It examines changes in soil microbiology and root development and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.
Effects of different mulch materials on the photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and soil water use efficiency of wheat in Loess tableland
Not relevant to microplastics — this agricultural study compares different mulching materials (including plastic film) on wheat yield and water use efficiency in the Loess Plateau of China, with no focus on microplastic pollution from plastic mulch.
Effects of Different Mulch Types on Farmland Soil Moisture in an Artificial Oasis Area
Not relevant to microplastics — this study compares how different mulch materials (including conventional polyethylene plastic films) affect soil moisture retention in an arid farming region of China, focusing on water management rather than plastic fragmentation or microplastic contamination.
Maize/Soybean Intercropping with Straw Return Increases Crop Yield by Influencing the Biological Characteristics of Soil
This study tested how combining straw return with maize-soybean intercropping affects soil health and crop yields in northeast China. The combined technique boosted soil microbial diversity, enzyme activity, and crop productivity compared to single-crop farming. While not directly about microplastics, the research highlights sustainable farming practices that improve soil biology, which is relevant because healthier soil ecosystems may be more resilient to microplastic contamination.
How biochar works, and when it doesn't: A review of mechanisms controlling soil and plant responses to biochar
This comprehensive review synthesizes 20 years of research on biochar, a charcoal-like material made from organic waste that can improve soil health and reduce pollution. Biochar can reduce plant uptake of heavy metals by 17-39% and increase nutrient availability, making it potentially useful for cleaning up microplastic-contaminated soils. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because biochar could help mitigate the effects of soil pollutants that microplastics carry and concentrate.
Advancing modified biochar for sustainable agriculture: a comprehensive review on characterization, analysis, and soil performance
This review covers how biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, can be modified to improve soil health and crop growth. While not directly about microplastics, modified biochar has been studied as a potential tool for absorbing and immobilizing microplastics in contaminated soil. Understanding how to optimize biochar properties could help develop strategies for reducing microplastic uptake by food crops.
Potential sources and occurrence of macro-plastics and microplastics pollution in farmland soils: A typical case of China
This review examines plastic pollution in Chinese farmland soils, finding that agricultural practices like mulch film use and sewage sludge application are major sources of both macro- and microplastics that accumulate over time.
Optimizing Microbial Composition in Soil Macroaggregates Enhances Nitrogen Supply Through Long-Term Straw Return
Despite its title referencing soil nitrogen and straw return, this paper studies how long-term agricultural straw incorporation affects microbial communities and nitrogen cycling within soil aggregates — not microplastic pollution. It examines bacterial and fungal biodiversity changes in soil over 13 years and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.
Exploring the Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Typical Maize Farmland Soils With Long-Term Plastic Film Mulching in Northern China
A survey of 225 soil samples from maize farmland with long-term plastic film mulching in northern China found widespread microplastic contamination, with abundance, distribution, and polymer composition reflecting the history of film use and agricultural management practices.
Soil constituents mediate the effects of microplastics from biodegradable mulch on soil biogeochemical properties
Researchers studied how soil constituents (organic matter, clay content) mediate the effects of microplastics from biodegradable mulch films on soil biogeochemical properties. Soil type significantly altered how MPs influenced carbon and nitrogen cycling and microbial communities, suggesting that biodegradable MPs cannot be assumed safe across all soil contexts.
[Occurrence and Characteristics of Macro/Micro-plastics and Phthalates in Soils Under Different Plastic Film Mulching].
Researchers assessed residual characteristics of macroplastics, microplastics, and phthalate plasticizers in agricultural soils under different plastic film mulching treatments over a three-year field experiment, comparing traditional PE film with three types of biodegradable mulch and a no-mulch control. The study examined whether biodegradable film substitution effectively reduces soil plastic and PAE residual pollution.
Stress of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics on pakchoi（Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis） and soil bacteria: Biochar mitigation
Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on pakchoi (a leafy vegetable) and found that both types harmed plant growth and disrupted soil bacteria. Adding biochar to the soil helped reduce these negative effects, suggesting it could be a practical way to protect crops from microplastic contamination in agricultural settings.
Potentials of synthetic biodegradable mulch for improved livelihoods on smallholder farmers: a systematic review
This systematic review evaluates biodegradable mulch as an alternative to conventional plastic mulch in farming, which is a major source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils. Switching to biodegradable options could help reduce the buildup of microplastics in the soil where food crops are grown.
Unravelling the ecological ramifications of biodegradable microplastics in soil environment: A systematic review
Researchers reviewed 85 studies on biodegradable microplastics in soil, finding that when biodegradable plastics fail to fully break down they can disrupt soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial life in ways that depend heavily on concentration and plastic type. The review highlights that "biodegradable" plastics are not a simple fix for microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.
Effects of Land Preparation Method and Organic Soil Amendment on Soil Properties, Growth and Yield of Maize (Zea mays)
This field experiment in Kenya found that conservation agriculture with black soldier fly manure and biochar improved soil moisture retention and maize yields. The study is not related to microplastic research.
Biochar mitigates microplastic‐induced destabilization of soil organic carbon via molecular recalcitrance and microbial process regulation
Biochar amendments to soil were shown to offset the destabilizing effects that microplastics have on soil aggregate structure. The finding suggests that biochar could be a practical soil amendment to counteract microplastic-driven soil degradation in contaminated agricultural lands.
Effect of biochar on microplastics penetration treatment within soil porous medium under the wetting-drying cycles and optimisation of soil-biochar mixing format
Researchers tested whether plant-based biochar mixed into soil could prevent microplastics from moving deeper into the ground during repeated wetting and drying cycles that mimic seasonal rainfall. They found that biochar significantly improved microplastic retention in the soil, and experimented with different soil-biochar mixing configurations to optimize performance. The study suggests that biochar amendments could be a practical strategy for reducing microplastic migration through agricultural soils.
Microplastic Accumulation in Agricultural Soils with Different Mulching Histories in Xinjiang, China
Researchers found that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils of Xinjiang, China increases significantly with mulching history, with fields mulched for over 20 years containing substantially more microplastics across all soil layers.
Plastic mulching in agriculture. Trading short-term agronomic benefits for long-term soil degradation?
This study examined plastic mulch use in agriculture, arguing that short-term crop benefits come with long-term costs as mulch fragments accumulate in soil as microplastics and disrupt soil structure, biology, and water dynamics.
Impact of long-term conventional and biodegradable film mulching on microplastic abundance and soil organic carbon in a cotton field
Researchers compared microplastic accumulation in topsoil after years of conventional polyethylene versus biodegradable film mulching in Chinese cotton fields. Despite biodegradable films being designed to break down, soils under biodegradable mulching had comparable microplastic counts to conventional mulching after multiple seasons, raising questions about whether bioplastic mulches truly reduce field microplastic pollution.
Microplastics in agricultural soils in China: Sources, impacts and solutions
This review examines microplastic contamination in Chinese agricultural soils, finding abundances ranging from about 5 to over 40,000 items per kilogram depending on location. The study identifies plastic mulching films as the most significant source, followed by abandoned greenhouses and organic fertilizers, and recommends sustainable agronomic practices to reduce soil microplastic pollution.
Peer Review #1 of "Influence of plastic film mulch with biochar application on crop yield, evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency in northern China: A meta-analysis (v0.1)"
This meta-analysis pools data from studies on how plastic film mulch combined with biochar affects crop yields and water use in northern China. The research connects to microplastic concerns because widespread agricultural use of plastic film mulch is a major source of microplastic contamination in farmland soils, potentially affecting the safety of crops grown in those fields.
From plastic mulching to microplastic pollution : An effect assessment of microplastics in the soil-plant system
This review assessed how plastic mulching films contribute to agricultural microplastic pollution, finding that biodegradable alternatives rarely fully degrade under field conditions and instead fragment into microplastics, with both LDPE and biodegradable microplastics producing measurable ecological effects in soil-plant systems.
Microplastic contamination in agricultural soils from mulch films and organic amendments: Transformation mechanism, soil-Biota toxicity, and future perspectives
This review examines how agricultural soils are becoming increasingly contaminated with microplastics from plastic mulch films and organic amendments like compost, with land-based contamination being 4 to 23 times higher than in water. Microplastics in farmland can harm soil organisms, disrupt soil structure, and enter the food chain through crops, posing potential risks to human health.